Old Dorks Zeitgeist

A Dreadnought Arrives

Gunshots and screams of panic sound from one of the Risuri ships in the harbor, hundreds of feet away from the lighthouse.

Glassman coughs with surprise. “Sergeant Blake? You’ll be wanting to see this.”

A few flashes of fire light up the night, and then a massive ball of flame engulfs the ship. Smoke billows upward as the rigging catches ablaze, and a humanoid figure can barely be made out striding across the burning deck. The figure points a flaming sword and sweeps it in an arc toward the sea wall. All of the gas lamps shatter and go dark.

The lighthouse holds!

Durakh-al and Blake shore up the defenses while Cazara licks her wounds.

The fireworks finally sputter out after ten minutes. Soldiers are scrambling to man the defenses on the inner wall of the keep and the other harbor wall. The sound of thunder rolls across the water, followed by a barrage of cannon balls landing violently in the harbor. The fort returns fire into the darkness. The fleet is here; it will only be a few minutes before they can enter the harbor gate… if its defenders can hold it long enough.

The Duchess’s forces are approaching the lighthouse once again. The group can see twelve patrolmen, five soldiers, and a wizard approaching.

Holding the Lighthouse

Durakh-al and Malkie build up the defenses of the lighthouse, tearing down furniture and using it to brace the doors. Cazara and Blake take the time to prepare themselves for the coming fight.

Outside, a dozen guards approach along the top of the wall. Malkie and Cazara steal out the window and conceal themselves on the roof. Blake readies herself by the door to the control room while Durakh-al makes final adjustments to the barricade.

The patrols of soldiers grow closer.

Malkie fingers the trigger of her pistol, waiting for the priority targets to close. No sense wasting her bullets on this pathetic rabble.

Fortress

Zeitgeist Ten: Fortress!

After the extended hike, Blake’s team arrives at the coastal fortress. The Duchess’s forces have seized control of this strategic strongpoint. Its tall walls are arranged in a pentagon, with the northern point extending into the sea. In place of that point is a massive sea gate which can be opened and closed to allow ships access to the docks of the fortress.

Tanya’s team’s mission was to open the sea gate while Blake’s team was to fire off a Pyrotechnics ritual from the Fortress’s lighthouse. Now both tasks must be accomplished by a single team in order to allow the Risuri navy to enter the fortress. There are two gates into the fortress, on the northwest and northeast walls, near the shoreline. The group is equipped with a Passwall scroll and a Water Breathing scroll, however, and may find them useful for alternate means of entry.

Out of the Mine

Zeitgeist Nine: Out of the Mine!

The only resistance Blake’s team finds in the mine is the one crazy miner and his strange minions. The industrious Danorans hung convenient signs in the mine providing exit directions. These signs are easy to follow, and there are even some handy kerosene lamps illuminating the journey.

At the mine’s exit, there is a small clearing surrounded by forest. The trees surrounding the clearing exhibit many fresh sword cuts and bullet impacts, almost as if the forest itself were involved in a recent fight. The center of the clearing is dominated by a low mound of recently-turned earth.

To the Island!

Terrain.
Lighting: The entire room is lit only by the glow from the marble splinter. All squares grant concealment (-2 to hit) except those on the scaffolding around the splinter (where Qarina is at start of round one), which are well lit.
Addendum: all squares within 10 of Qarina are brightly lit until she stops, drops, and rolls.

After the excitement dies down, the searchers report that the Duchess Ethelyn of Shale could not be found. She is officially declared missing. King Aodhan, under the apparent advice of Minister Lee, announces she is wanted in connection with any information she may have related to a plot against him.

In a prepared speech before the assembled VIPs and investigators, the king recounts the trials Risur has faced to defend itself from Danor through four wars that ultimately earned either side little. For centuries, the king says, his people have viewed Danorans as cursed and unnatural, while they claim Risuri are superstitious and primitive. But ironically their latest efforts to arm for war have brought the two nations closer together, as Danorans have helped Risur with its industrial revolution.

Not all that explosive

Zeitgeist Six — Not all that explosive
Oct 19, 2011

Scott:
Massarde and his engineers get the engine room under control. Blake finishes her sweep of the observation suite.

After everything is sorted out, there are several casualties to deal with. Four people are dead: a halfling chef named Ilton, an engineer named Jenner, the duchess’s handmaiden Sokana, and a guard who was stationed at the ship’s magazine, Divianne. The Duchess is missing. Cazara also seems to be missing at first, but she eventually turns up on the top deck, mixed in with the party guests.